vintage Christmas ornaments

1961-1973 

These Christmas ornaments are from my collection and actually hang on our Christmas tree almost every year.  

Receiving an ornament each year is a family tradition which started when my sisters and I were little.  

Thanksgiving Day fun

It was such a great holiday weekend full of Family, Friends, Food, Football and Fun, all of which we are so thankful for. 
Here are highlights from our

Thanksgiving Day 2011


Grandma brought a fun activity for us to work on while we waited for dinner....

Autumn Maple Leaf Crowns 
and 
Candle Rings!

She brought a box full of colorful fall leaves that she collected from their yard, scissors, an extra large needle and even a covering for the table

and then taught us step by step how to make crowns and candle rings!

 We had fun wearing our new crowns and I am still enjoying my new candle rings.

A perfect activity! 

And then there was this incredibly wonderful and fancy addition to our Thanksgiving menu, 

a Grand Surprise 

from our niece

who made 

not one

 but 

TWO

Butterscotch Crème Brûlée!!

Every bite was melt-in-your-mouth delicious! 

Since the crème brûlée was a surprise we also had our traditional desserts

2 Pumpkin Pies

&

2 Apple Pies

which we enjoyed as well. 

We love dessert

although

the turkey dinner was quite tasty too!

wonderFALL treats

pumpkin bars

gingerbread scones

A couple more fall favorites.... 
So many recipes
So little time!!

Thankful reminders

These are decorations I've made and put around our house that remind us to
Be Thankful

Pretty Pumpkins

Been busy making these 

Pretty Pumpkins

just in time for 

Thanksgiving!

Autumn Accents

Simple, stylish, no-cost decorating. 

I didn't have to go far to find sweetgum seed pods, pine cones and hydrangeas. They are all from our yard and I'm using them as fall decor on the mantle, in baskets, as vase filler and placemarkers on the table. 

How quick and easy is that? 

craving cranberries...

...so I made these today!!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

with
 Acorns and Cream Cheese Frosting

I am thankful for

QT in the Kitchen

with our kids!!

I spent yesterday afternoon making these fun Pumpkin Cupcakes with our teenage daughter and at the same time teaching one of her older brothers, our middle son, how to make my potato salad, which he wanted to take to a friends house where he was having dinner and watching a football game. The cupcakes turned out so cute....I love the acorns!...and the salad looked great, especially with the garnish he put on the top~just like I do! (No photos of the salad since he left before I got to it.)

A fun way to spend a rainy, fall, Saturday. 

For the Pumpkin Cupcake recipe go here

Crabfest

at the

Oregon coast. 

This popular, church organized men's event happens every year in October for one day only. The men meet in Astoria, rain or shine, on the chosen Saturday for a day of crabbing and fellowship, except the boat drivers who are there all weekend. They arrive on Friday to set up and get in a few pulls so that they have crab ready to go first thing on Saturday morning when the others arrive. After a morning of pulling crab pots the men are served lunch, which includes crab of course, then more crabbing in the afternoon. At the end of the day, after the crab has been cooked, it is divided and sent home. The boat drivers stay until Sunday to clean and pack up. When the cooler full of crab arrives at our house we pick the meat, eat some!, put the rest in vacuumed sealed bags and freeze. 

Fresh Oregon Crab

what a treat!!

mini house NEWS!

My mixed media mini house has been

published!

Here it is, my little
Home Sweet Home!

You can read more about the Cloth, Paper, Scissors "Reader's Challenge" I entered and get more links here.